Precious metals from pet surgical implants are being recycled to raise funds for the running of the National Military Working Dogs Memorial in North Wales.
The new fundraising campaign has been announced by the Association of Private Pet Cemeteries and Crematorium which has members across the UK.
Six APPCC accredited funeral providers have already joined forces to raise £500 for the charity, with proceeds expected to snowball as more operators take up the cause.
Members are being urged to bring metal components recovered from cremations to APPCC meetings where they will be collected by director Kevin Spurgeon.
Mr Spurgeon, owner of the Dignity Pet Crematorium in Hampshire, keeps a large recycling bin on his premises which is emptied periodically by recycling firm Orthometals.
He says pioneering surgery by the likes of TV ‘Supervet’ Professor Noel Fitzpatrick has led to an explosion of orthopaedic operations carried out on pets.
“This in turn has resulted in a marked increase in the amount of metal recovered from pet cremations,” said Mr Spurgeon. “There are now even animal hospitals dedicated to such advanced procedures.
“So instead of just doing this ourselves, we have decided to throw it out to all APPCC registered pet funeral businesses in the UK. To date we’ve had contributions from Chestnut Lodge Pet Crematorium and Pet Cemetery in Hampshire, Paws to Rest in Cumbria, Meadow Wood in South Devon, Companions Haven in Gloucestershire and Prestwood Pet Crematorium located in the West Midlands.
He added: “There are currently 35 APPCC registered pet funeral specialists in the UK and it would be fantastic to one day have all of them on board.”
Professor Fitzpatrick has given the recycling initiative his full backing:
“I wholeheartedly support the Orthometals recycling scheme championed by the APPCC.
“It honours the memory of our beloved animal friends by transforming something which was once part of their daily lives into a legacy of eternal hope and gratitude.
“To see this initiative contribute towards the National Military Working Dogs Memorial is deeply moving – a fitting tribute to the extraordinary bond between animals and humans, and a testament to the respect they deserve in life and beyond.”
The impressive memorial was officially unveiled in North Wales in 2017 to commemorate working dogs who served their country in both world wars, as well as in Bosnia, Afghanistan and Iraq.
At its heart are four bronze statues each representing an inspirational dog who gave exemplary service. Many others are commemorated in plaques surrounding the monument.
The land for the tribute was donated by APPCC member John Ward and is open daily to the public at the Holywell Pet Cemetery in North Wales. John left the Army in the late sixties and went on to set up an internationally renowned pet funeral service.
“As both a proud APPCC member and a trustee of the charity running the memorial, I am both delighted and very grateful to receive this money. It’s marvellous that the APPCC has come on board to back us.”
The APPCC was set up in 1993 to impose strict standards in a sector which remains otherwise unregulated. The organisation has regularly highlighted the need for vets and pet funeral operators to be more transparent when describing how animals are treated after death.
It claims many owners fail to realise that their pets could legally be treated as waste disposal and often end up in landfill sites.
APPCC members adhere to a strict code of practice that places transparency, dignity and compassion as core values.
Chairman Nick Ricketts said he could not think of a more apt charity to support:
“It is most appropriate that an organisation which places such emphasis on the dignity of animals is now helping to boost the coffers of a charity that also treats them with the greatest of respect in death.”